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For this week’s Song of the Week I decided to slow things down a little. Every so often a song emerges and no matter where you are in your life; what stage, situations or emotions, etc., it affects you. A song you find you keep coming back to or one that you just cannot take off repeat. Whether you are thinking of something that has happened in the past or something you are currently dealing with, it’s just ‘one of those songs’ that I think strikes a chord in many. This lullaby type melody not only has wonderful lyrics, but a repetitive tune that captures your attention. The slow rhythmic lyric “slow-ow-ow-ow-ow-ow-ow ow it down” is a reminder that many of us today can truly benefit from.
Youth Lagoon. If you have not heard this name before, remember this moment as the beginning of something magical – the moment you came across Youth Lagoon. The first time I heard the harmonious sounds of Trevor Powers’ venture Youth Lagoon, I was instantly hooked. At first his music seems very dreamy and fluffy, but hidden in the depths of the lyrics lies the part of Powers that makes Youth Lagoon so vast. Continue reading
….I want love to roll me over sowly and stick a knife inside me and twist it all around
If you are a Weakerthans fan, you will definitely enjoy this week’s Artist of the Week: John K. Samson. Better known as the brilliant unique vocal frontman of the indie rock band The Weakerthans, Samson will release his first full length solo album entitled Provincials with Epitaph-Anti Records. He also happens to have ‘When I Write My Masters Thesis’ as this week’s free single of the week download on iTunes. Showcasing his great storytelling abilities through his lyrics, Provincials allows us to have a slighter intimate encounter with Samson as he takes you on a tour of his home province, Manitoba. If you can’t wait for the January 24th, 2012 album release or want to take a sneak peak, you can stream Provincials via Exclaim’s website (www.exclaim.ca/MusicVideo/ClickHear/john_k_samson-provincial_album_stream)
Samson will hit the road on a North American tour with many scheduled Canadian dates.
It’s been a while since I’ve blogged, which I chalk up to being a positive thing in this situation. Taking a step away, I wanted to come back to Del Rey as my first article because I can’t help but question the following; is she highly overrated or is everyone being too harsh?
In September I posted an article on Del Rey as RMW’s ‘Artist of the Week’ as she had just released the music video for ‘Blue Jeans’ and her name was generating quite the buzz. Without having released her highly anticipated major label debut album Born To Die, Del Rey landed herself a very high profile gig as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live on January 14, 2012 – a performance I’m confident she hoped would further her career. Unfortunately, the reviews have not been overly positive – to an extent that it may have prematurely hurt her career. I will admit, it was not her best performance. Everyone seemed to be on the Del Rey train for a long time and it’s disheartening to see so many got off so quickly.
I’m filing her disappointing national TV debut performance under ‘nervous’ and ‘lack of experience’. Landing such a coveted gig so early in her career, I really don’t think anyone could be prepared for that (Del Rey herself admitting she was not ready). Continue reading